Method oe constructing electric terminals



W. M. AUSTIN. METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING ELECTRIC TERMINALS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. I914. v

Patented July 8, 1919.

INVENTOR :WaherMAuatm.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY \BIA PMNQGRAPM :13.. WA

' WALTER M. AUSTIN,

OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF CONSTEUCTING ELECTRIC TERMINALS..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed November 25, 1914. Serial No. 874,094.

To all'whom'c't may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Constructing Electric Terminals, of which the followlng is a specification.

My invention relates to methods of constructing or forming terminals from metal tubing.

The object of my invention is to provide an economical and inexpensive method of constructing terminal members from metal tubing.

Heretofore, terminals have been constructed from metal tubing, but, in roundinn off the upper portions-thereof, a relatively large amount of material was wasted. I provide a method of constructing two terminals at one time by severing a metal tube in such manner "that, when the parts thus severed are partially flattened into planes that difl'er from one another, they constitute terminals having rounded ends.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a metal tube from which is constructed terminals in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the metal tube shown in Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, front and side elevational views of the tube shown in Figs. 1 and 2 after the final operation of forming the terminals is performed.

A metal tube 1 is severed along a line 2 by any of the well known methods, such as a band saw or a lathe, to constitute two tubes 3 and 4. The development of the line 2 is substantially a series of alternately reversed 60 arcs of circles having a radius equal to the radius of the tube, but any other 7 suitable shape may be used. A portion 5 of the tube l is then flattened to provide a terminal 6 that has a rounded upper end 7 and a cylindrical portion 8. A portlon 9 of the tube 3 is flattened in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the portion 5 of the tube Ito provide a sub stantially similar terminal 10 that has a rounded end 11 and a cylindrical portion 12. v

The, completed terminals comprise the cylindrical portions 8 and 12 for the re ception of conductors and the flattened portions 5 and 9, respectively, that have openings 13 therein. The openings 13 are provided for attaching the same to bus-bars and other similar structures.

It will be understood that, with the method of construction embodied in my invention, two terminals, that have rounded ends, may be constructed from a single tube without the necessity of wasting material to round off the edges thereof. The terminals formed from a single tube are similar to each other when. adjacent portions of the severed tube are flattened in planes at right angles to each other.

While I have described a preferred method of constructing a tube terminal, it is not so limited but is capable of various modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of constructing terminals which consists in transversely severing a single metal tube along an alternately reversed curved line so that the curved line on opposite sides of the tube will register to provide two similar tubular members each having registering projecting portions at one side and pressing said portions of each member thus obtained toward each other into registered proximate relation in parallel planes.

2. The method of constructing two similar terminals which consists in transversely severing a single metal tube along a uniform multi-directional line so that the line on opposite sides of the tube will register and pressing corresponding opposite portions of the severed end of each of the respective members thus obtained toward each other into registration.

3. The method of constructing terminals which consists in transversely severing a metal tube along a circumferential zig-zag line so that the line on opposite sides of the tube will register, thereby producing members each having at one end corresponding projecting portions, and pressing said corresponding portions of each of the members thus obtained adjacent to the severing line toward each other so that said portions are in registering engagement.

l. The method of constructing terminals which consists in transversely cutting a metal tube into two parts, along; a circumferential line of substantially wave shape so that the line on opposite sides of the tube will register, thus producing two members each having at one end corresponding oppo- 5 site end portions and flattening and pressing said corresponding portions of each of the two members thus formed toward each other so that said portions register.

5. The method of constructing terminals which consists in transversely cutting a metal tube into two parts along a line the development of which is substantially a series of alternately reversed arcs having radii equal to the radius of the tube, thus producing two parts each having at one end opposite projecting portions, and pressing together into registration the said opposite projecting portions of each part thus formed to constitute a terminal having a tubular portion and a web portion of curved transverse end contour.

6. The method of constructing two similar terminals which consists in transversely severing a single metal tube along a curved line so that the line on opposite sides of the tube will register and pressing corresponding opposite portions of the severed end of each of the respective members thus obtained toward each other into registration.

7. The method of forming a plurality of terminals each having a tubular portion and a web portion of curved or broken-line transverse end contour which consists of cutting an initially wholly tubular member in a uniformly curved or broken-line path that extends circumferentially around an intermediate location on said tubular member so that the line on opposite sides of the tube will register and by a simple lateral pressing operation biasing toward each other the opposite registering curved or broken-line end portions, of each of the separated similar tubular members formed as a result of said cutting, to form a finished terminal, said method eliminatingthe waste of material in the construction of terminals of said forms.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed 111 name this 20th dayof Nov, 1914.

WALTER Mansrm.

WVitnesses: THos. H. JoHNs, Jr., B. B. Hmns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 11.0. r i 

